Pad for ironing machines, etc.



July 11, 1933. R N WEST 1,918,230

PAD FOR IRONING MACHINES, ETC

Filed May 31, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 11, 1933. N, W 1,918,230

PAD FOR IRONING MACHINES, ETC

Filed Ray 31, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 11, 1933. R N w sT 1,918,230

PAD FOR IRONING MACHINES, ETC

Filed May 31, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 1-1, 1%33 noBEn-r n. wEs'r, or MArLEwoon, NEwJEnsE ran Eon mourns MACHINES, ETC.

Application filed May 31, 1930. Serial No. 458,246.

My invention relates to elastic cushions or pads for garment presses and ironing 1113..

chines. either of the flat or roll type, and has for its particular objects the provision of a simple, durable and economical construction which provides an even yieldable highly responsive surface that readily accommodates itself to applied pressures from the steam chest of a press or ironing machine. Further advantages of my invention are hereinafter set forth.

I am aware that various elastic ironing pads have been heretofore devised, such for example as the constructions disclosed in Patent Nos. 1366.363, 1,054,407 and 1,628,196 and accordingly, do not claim any construction therein disclosed.

My invention is fully set forth in the following detailed descriptions and drawings forming a part of this specification in which latter Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved pad, the same being shown in sections of indeterminate extent that are partially broken away at adjacent edges of different sections;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a detail vertical section showing a modified form of retainer cage from that shown in 1, together with a fragment of the top grid;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modification and Fig. 5 is vertical section the 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a'fragmentary plan view of a still further AOCllfiCttl'Oll employing rectangularetainer and. Fig. 7 is section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a further modification, Fig. 9 is a vertical section.

on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8 and Fig. 10 is a plan view of the metal blank employed for such modified form ofretainer cage;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a metal blank; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan View of a retainer pad employing such blank and showing a still further modification of the retainer cage.

Referring to the drawings. and the construction showntherein, the reference numeral 1 designates the fiat buck of a pressing machine while 2 designates the bottom menr. her and 3 the top member of my improved pad that are preferably secured. together and to said pad by means of spacing screws tpreferably countersunk in recesses a, and. shouldered spacing pins5; which screws and pins also 1naintain the respective'top and. bottom members in a predetermined spaced relation. 'As shown, the top member is provided with a plurality of circular apertures 6, disposed in parallel rows, the apertures of each row being in staggered relation with respect to those of the next adjacent row.. Mounted in each of these apertures 6 is a retainer cage 7 having a skirt or shank portion 8 which is cut away to form V-shaped slits 9 so as to permit of the compression thereof when it is desired to insert or remove a retainerlcage from the aperture in which the same is mountedwithout removing the pad, as such, from its fixedposition on the bottom in mber or other support carrying the same.

At their lower ends, the said skirts 8 areflared to form an expanded rim 2) which projects beyond the normalperiphery. of such skirt and prevents the accidental escape of the retainer cage from the particular aperture in which it is mounted. When employing the padas an ironing pad, the heads of said cages are provided with small apertures 10 which allow the escape of steam from the goods being pressed into the space intermediate the top and base plates aforesaid.

Coil springs 11, of a diameter to snugly. fit within the retainer cages are mounted in the apertures 6 and bear against the base plate or other support and the retainer cage, thereby serving normally to project the retainer cages to the outermost limits permitted by the flared rims thereof whilepermitting of the elastic yielding thereof under pressure applied thereto.

In order to remove the steam vapors evolved during an ironing operation from the space between the top and bottom of the pad, 1 provide a distributor pipe 12 which is connected to an air line 13 and is provided with heads 23.

a series of apertures 14 through which heated air may be projected into said space to drive out the steam vapors therefrom.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the

top or grid member 3 is slightly bevelled 7 around the margins of the apertures thereof, as indicated by the reference letter 0, thereby facilitating the insertion as well as resisting accidental removal of the retainer cage 7 which is mounted in the aperture formed in said plate. The skirt 8 is provided with a flared end 6 which normally prevents the escape of the retainer cage upwardly through such aperture while the slits 9 permit of the compression of the skirt and the removal of the cage outwardly through the aperture when it is desired.

In Figs. 4 and the grid is provided with rows of apertures 21 similarly disposed to those of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but of reduced size, the same being adapted to receive retainer cages 22, the circular heads 23 of which project" beyond the periphery of the skirts 24, which latter are also cut away, as indicated bythe numeral '25, and flared at their lower ends (Z similar to the skirts 8. These retainer cages admit of the employment of coil springs 26 of smaller dia ieter than that of the circular In Figs. 6 and 7 the grid 30 is provided with circular apertures 31, generally of the SiZe of the apertures 21 shown in Fig. 4, and retainer cages 32 have square heads 33 and cylindrical slotted skirts 34 with flar d ends 6 are mounted, the same serving to retain the small type of springs 36. As shown, the diameter of these cylindrical skirts 34 is considerably less than the width of the square heads 33 and each row thereof, as well as the adjacent heads in each row are in close is secured in a to prevent the prorimitywhile' the heads in one row are stagg-e ed with respect to those of adjacent row, whereby the space or oint between two adjacent heads is extremely small.

i In the construction shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the gridor top member "40 comprising an apertured stamping in which the apertures 41 are of rectangular (preferably square) configuration, these apertures being adapted to receive retainer cages 42 which are struck up from a. blank operations. I p I The sides 43 of these retainers are provided with marginal flanges 44 which serve (see Fig. 10) by stamping springs (not, shown) are compressed between the under face of the top of said retainers and an underlying support to which the grid manner generally similar to that in which the springs are positioned in the constructions shown in Figs, 2, 5 and 8. The other sides 45 of these retainers are slightly longer than the sides 43 due to the escape of said retainers outwardly through the apertures 41 when coil absence of marginal flanges thereon and as a consequence these sides 43 serve as pilots or below as it is merely necessary to manually compress the flanged side members 43 suflicicntly to allow the outer edges of the flanges to pass through the apertures in order to insert the retainer from the above grid.

In the construction shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the retainer cages, which are adapted to be inserted in thegrid member 46, each have an enlarged head 47 which, as shown, are adapted to partially overlap the bar of the grid extending between the adjacent sides of two of the adjacent retainer cages and the shank portions 48 of each is ofrectanguar configuration, prefcrabzy square, and of substantially smaller extreme dimensions than the extreme dimension of the head of such retainer cage. The bottom of each of the sides of such cage, which form the shank or skirt, is slightly flared or upset as indicated by the reference numeral 49. One of the advantages of this latter construction which, when viewed from above, is similar to the construction shown in Fig. 6, and the fact that not only due to the retainer cages and because of their configuration, lend themselves to mass production because of the fact that they can be readily stamped from a metal 1'1 in a very simpl die, butv also because of the fact that the skirt member is of considerably smaller cross sectional area than the head member of each retainer cage, the bars of the grid may be considerably wider than it is possible when employing the construction shown in-Fig. 8.

'My improved pad isc'qually adapted for flat work roll ironing machines, as well as" for pressing or ironing machines having flat bucks. Furthermore, owing to the fact that the upper ends of the springs are protected and do not directly contact with the cloth padding which is applied thereto (not shown) in order to afiord asmooth uninterrupted or pressing surface, the life of the padding is prolonged as compared with spring pads wherein the free ends of the springs directly contact with the cloth covering. 1

Another advantage of my'construction is the facility with which a broken spring may be renewed without requiring the removal of the top plate, it being merely necessary to compress the skirt manually or by means lVhile I may employ in the construction of my pad both a top and bottom member, the base members can be dispensed with and the top member can be secured directly to the buck of a press or other supporting frame, in which event the bottom of the springs will bear directly against the buck and thereby machining of the latter may be dispensed with.

Any desired covering, either a plurality of layers of cloth or suitable supplemental felt or like non-metallic padding is intended to be applied in the well known manner to my improved pad and consequently the same is neither shown herein or claimed as such.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain by United States Letters Patent is 1. A resilient pad for ironing machines, comprising an apertured grid, a bottom member to which such grid is secured, spring-retainer elements respectively mounted in. the apertures of said grid, means for preventing the accidental escape of such retainer elements from their respective apertures while admitting of the ready removal thereof when desired, spring elements confined between said bottom member and said spring-reta ner elements, said spring elements being readily removable and replaceable when said retainer elements are removed from said grid; and

said retainer elements normally projecting a substantial distance above such grid.

2. A. resilient pad for ironing machines, comprising a grid having a plurality of similar apertures therein, a bottom member to which said grid is secured, spring retainer elements slidably mounted in the apertures of said grid member, spring members confined between said bottom member and said retainer elements and being unattached thereto, said retainer elements normally pros jecting a substantial distance above said grid; and said retainer elements having means for preventing accidental outward displacement thereof by said spring members when said retainer elements are positioned in said grid apertures.

3. A resilient pad for ironing machines, having an upper grid member having numerous similar apertures therein and a bot tom supporting member, means for securing said members together in spaced relation, spring-retainer elements having substantial- 1y closed outer ends and depending extensions integral therewith, the said retainer elements being mounted in the apertures of said grid and havingmeans for preventing their accidental escape outwardly therethrough, coil spring members confined between the inner faces of said closed ends of the retainer elements and said supporting member and an air conduit having a series of discharge apertures adapted to project air into the space between said grid and said supporting member.

l. In a resilient pad for ironing machines, the sub-combination comprising a grid member having a plurality of closely spaced rows of similar rectangular apertures and spring retain-er elements mounted in said apertures, said elements normally projecting a substantial distance above saie grid and said retainer elements having substantially fiat outer ends and being open at their inner ends to respectively admit oi the reception of coil springs therein and the respective elements having at least two of their respective side walls laterally compressible and of greater lateral extent at their free ends than V the transverse dimension between two of the sides of aperture. v

5. In a resilient pad for ironing machines, the sub-combination comprising a gridmember having numerous similar, closely arranged apertures, spring-retainer elements mounted in. said'apertures, said retainer ole ments normally projecting a substantial distance above said and said. retainer elements having enlarged outer faces of greater lateral extent than the apertures of said grid and also having a compressible shank which is also normally of greater lateral extent at its free end than the lateral extent of the said grid apertures and coil springs normally projecting through said grid apertures and held against escape therethrough by said retainer elements.

ROBERT N. WEST. 

